|
William Percy Lamar was born in Tarrant Co., TX Nov. 19, 1889. he arrived in Crosby County June 18, 1892 where his parents W.D. Lamar and Susan homesteaded land eight miles north of Emma.Percy attended school at Fairview and Emma where he graduated from high school in 1907. He attended North Texas State University at Denton, TX and graduated in 1910. While at college, he met his future bride, Elzina Henson.
After graduating, he accepted positions teaching at Floydada, Petersburg and Lorenzo.
On Mar. 17, 1912 Percy married Sarah Elzina Henson. Percy and Zina made their first home at Lorenzo where Percy had a teaching position in the public school.
Elzina was born Apr. 3, 1892 at Mineral Wells. Her parents were A. N. Henson and Mary Estes. After the death of her mother, Henson remarried and the family moved to Randall Co. where Zina finished high school in Canyon. Her father was County Judge at the time. Elzina attended North Texas State University in Denton and West Texas State University at Canyon. Before her marriage to Percy, she spent two years teaching in Canyon schools.
In 1914, Zina and Percy moved to a farm four miles west of Crosbyton. For a few months they lived in a half dugout. As soon as possible, they moved into a more substantial dwelling where they lived until 1928. The Lamars were engaged in farming, dairying and stock raising.
On January 14, 1919 a daughter Marie was born. She attended school at Crosbyton and graduated from high school in 1938.
In 1928, Percy opened a garage and service station with G.O. Paudler as his partner. In 1935, Percy bought out his partner and continued the operation as well as his farming interest for many years. As a hobby Percy became interested in flying. He obtained his license and spent many hours flying his private plane.
The Lamars purchased the Judge Howard farm three miles west of Crosbyton in 1938, remodeling it into a beautiful country home. Percy and Elzina were successful in their chosen vocations and increased their material holdings substantially.
Percy died Apr. 14, 1946 in a Wichita Falls hospital and was buried in Crosbyton Cemetery.
Eleven years later, Elzina established the Percy and Zina Lamar Foundation. Crosby County Pioneer Memorial became an integral part of the Foundation by Elzina´s request and in 1958 the "Memorial" changed from a dream to a reality.
In honor of the Lamar family, Percy, Susan and W.D. and in memory of the pioneer men and women of West Texas, Zina and Marie Lamar built and dedicated "The Crosby County Pioneer Memorial." The memorial center covers 15,000 sq. ft. on the city square of Crosbyton. It includes a community center and 9,000 sq. ft. of museum space.
Through the Foundation, Zina Lamar encouraged education through scholarships at West Texas State University. She donated property and built Masonic Lodge Hall, was instrumental in erection of a sanctuary and educational building for First Methodist Church at Crosbyton.
Elzina Lamar was associated with Eastern Star, Crosby County Historical Society, Women´s Society for Christian Service, an honorary member of Delta Kappa Gamma and was honored as outstanding Crosbyton Citizen for 1956.
On Sept. 9, 1963, Elzina and Marie Lamar were killed in a head-on automobile accident. Double funeral services were conducted in First Methodist Church of Crosbyton Sept. 11, 1963.
A monument to the memory of Elzina and Marie Lamar was erected near the entrance of Crosby County Pioneer Memorial grounds as a lasting memorial to an outstanding family who loved Crosby Co. and gave generously of their fortunes to benefit others.
The following account written by Clayton Carter to his father was published in May 19, 1910 Crosby County News, "About the girl I got out of the creek the other day...if things had not happened just as they did, I guess both of us would have drowned. She was standing on the bank of the creek, waiting for the boat to come take her riding, when the little bit of earth she was standing on gave way and into the creek she went. The water being about 15 feet, she never did touch the bottom, but went plum under. I heard the water splash, but was standing about ten feet away when she fell in. She was trying to catch hold of some little twigs that hung partly over the creek. Before I thought of anything else, I made a leap and went into the water. As it happened, there was some brush in the water that I landed on, but I went into the water nearly over my head close by her. This is all that saved our lives, I reckon. I caught hold of her and by the help of those on the bank, we pulled her out of the creek. She was Judge Henson´s daughter of Canyon City." (Sarah Elzina Henson Lamar)
This account of the lives of the Lamar family and their impact on Crosby County would have been drastically altered except for the deeds of this one young man. An epic story on the American way of life.
Percy and Elzina were survived by a host of nieces and nephews.
SOURCE:Crosby County History Book, 1876-1977 p. 356-357.
None submitted to date
 |
Crosby County TXGenWeb Project
|
This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my consent.
The information on these pages is meant for personal genealogical research only and is not for commercial use of ANY type.